LEGISLATIVE ATTACKS ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT DURING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

Since the 115th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2017, it has already seen the introduction of at least 63 legislative attacks seeking to strip federal protections from specific species or undercutting the Endangered Species Act. These attacks build on an already existing 303 pieces of legislation that attempted to weaken the Endangered Species Act from previous Congresses. Since 1996, there has been a total of 366 bills introduced seeking to dismantle critical species protections. Legislative attacks have significantly increased since the Republican Party took control of the House of Representatives. And with Donald Trump in the White House, these types of attacks are more likely to become law, severely harming our nation's imperiled wildlife.

Rider to the concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2018 through 2026.

January 11, 2017

Species specific

Greater Sage-grouse

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)

Transfers oversight of over 60 million acres of federal lands where sage-grouse are found to Western states; Prevents the FWS from listing the bird for at least 10 years

A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to reissue the final rules relating to the listing of the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes and the State of Wyoming under the Endangered Species Act of 1973

Requires the Interior Department to provide public notification of when ESA suits, often from environmental groups, are filed and would set a lower standard for when outside groups, such as interested businesses, can intervene

Amends the ESA to require all data used in listings to be run by the states first; Undermines the "best available science" standard by deeming tribal, state and county data 'best available science' even if it is not

Amends the ESA to require all data used in listings to be run by the states first; Undermines the "best available science" standard by deeming tribal, state and county data 'best available science' even if it is not

Strips protections from every endangered species until Congress passed a resolution of approval, guts protections for species found only within one state’s boundaries, and eliminats the ability of citizens to submit petitions to protect species under the ESA

Stripsprotections from every endangered species until Congress passed a resolution of approval, guts protections for species found only within one state’s boundaries, and eliminats the ability of citizens to submit petitions to protect species under the ESA

Exempts take from Sect. 9 as well as Sect. 7 Consult if take is authorized for marine mammals; Also weakens the requirement under MMPA to monitor and report take/harassment and prevents a [major] alteration of design/scope/etc. of the activity in instances of take

Prohibits the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from reconsidering the greater sage-grouse (including Columbia Basin sage-grouse) from ESA listing for at least 10 years; Would prevent the withdrawal of 10million acres of sage-grouse habitat from mineral leases

Exempts take from Sect. 9 and Sect. 7 Consultation if take is authorized for marine mammals; also weakens the requirement under MMPA to monitor and report take/harassment and prevents a [major] alteration of design/scope/etc. of the activity in instances of take.

Rider to Dept. of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY 2018

November 20, 2017

General attack

Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

Legislatively undoes the Cottonwood v. USFS case; would broadly exempt Section 7 consultations for any land management plan that has already been approved prior to species listing, critical habitat designation, new information, etc.